NJN News; 08/09/1989 Wednesday

I need a funnel here. That's my mic. Major funding for New Jersey Network News is provided by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, New Jersey Network News with Kent Manahan and Phil Bremen. Good evening, some good news tonight for the 90,000 commuters who use Interstate 78.

State Department of Transportation officials say if all goes well with the repair process, four lanes of the damaged highway could reopen in as little as two weeks to a month. And late today, federal officials said 90 percent of the repair cost might be covered by the Federal Highway Disaster Fund. Trish de Gasparous reports. Right now, all 12 lanes of Route 78 are shut down just outside of Newark, but as Department of Transportation engineers began their preliminary evaluations today, they found that most of the lanes were still intact. The Newark Fire Department has bulldozed a lot of the garbage away from the highway. That allowed DOT engineers to get a closer look underneath the structure to begin conducting tests. That's a structural crew that you saw going down there with that piece of equipment is called as snooper. That allows you to go underneath the bridge without and get some close-up inspections out of it.

So the crew is doing right now, is inspecting the underside of the bridge to see what the extent of the heat damage is. Shortly, the DOT will begin drilling the highway, taking core samples. The cores are to determine what the surface of the road, what kind of condition it's in. By taking a sample of it to see whether there's been any stress. After the damage is evaluated, the DOT has some major decisions to make, like how many lanes can be opened? And the shoulder be paved over to create a lane? Which types of vehicles will be able to use the highway? This is a major truck route. The money to pay for all of this will come from the Department of Transportation, which still needs the okay from the Department of Treasury. The state is hoping to be reimbursed by the Federal Highway Administration. So if all goes well, some travelers could be back on the highway in its modified version in just a few weeks. The DOT says more details on Friday. Trish Degasferris, New Jersey Network News, on Route 78 in Newark. Ocean and Monmouth County authorities today staged a dawn raid on a farm in Jackson Township.

Its owner was charged with illegal dumping, possibly involving hazardous waste. And investigators are worried about possible pollution of the Matita-Conk River. Larry Stoopnagle reports. Authorities were digging deep into the ground on the horse farm owned by 50-year-old Thomas Ritz of Jackson Township this afternoon. It was arrested at 6 o'clock this morning by investigators from the Ocean and Monmouth County Prosecutors' offices and charged with five counts of violating the State's Water Pollution Act. We found a site that appears to be approximately three acres in size, probably up to about 30 feet in depth that was used at least for illegal solid waste. And may in fact have been used for disposition of illegal hazardous waste also. Test results from the site won't be available for four to six weeks. Farley says a pipe from the site went directly into the Matita-Conk River. This part of the river is used by two or three towns in Ocean and Monmouth County as a primary

water source. Now whether or not this site is big enough to pollute the river enough to affect it at this time no one can really tell you, anything would be a complete guess at Larry at this time. We're worried. We're worried. Yeah, it concerns us. I mean, again, we're upstream of him, so they were out and they took tests of our water and I guess they're testing everybody's water in here. In addition to charges stemming from their farm, Ritz and his two sons, Michael and Kevin also face other pollution act violations for a site on Georgia Road and Freehold. Authorities say some of the material is illegal construction debris from one or more New York transfer stations. The construction debris in order to be hidden is shredded and mixed with various regular landfill material and topsoil so that it appears to be just a good clean fill, which of course it's not. Farley says a raid on an illegal landfill on the Hill House Farm in Milestone Township on June 28 lead to today's arrests.

Authorities would not reveal the names of the New York transfer stations, but they did say they expect to make more arrests in this case, while at the same time investigating the possibility of more dump sites in the area. Larry Stoopnagle, New Jersey Network News, Jackson Township. A 19-year-old West Windsor man is in jail tonight, his bail set at a quarter of a million dollars. Jamal Johnson has accused of a series of sexual attacks and attempted murder. He was arrested after a security guard at writer college in Lawrenceville saw him lurking behind the campus chapel late at night. Mr. County's first assistant prosecutor, Mary Ann Balamoetz, said there is strong evidence that Johnson broke into a West Windsor home on Sunday. The intruder held a knife to a teenage girl's throat and tried to rape her. When an 18-year-old in the home went to her aid, he was stabbed several times and seriously wounded. Johnson is also suspected in two other knife point rapes. One also last Sunday on the Rutgers campus in New Brunswick, the other last June in a West Windsor condominium. It's an all-too-familiar occurrence, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's office,

young people robbing homes in order to sell stolen goods for drug money. A total of 10 people, five juveniles and five adults have been rounded up in Middlesex and Somerset counties, charged on a variety of counts from burglary and violating drug laws to religious bias and accepting stolen property. At a news conference today, prosecutor Alan Rockoff talked about the group's operation in Highland Park, where three individuals broke into the same house twice, taking $12,000 worth of goods later sold to a local Jewel restore, where no questions were asked about ownership. Authorities also found racial slurs on the walls inside the house. KKK, they wrote a swastika, and they wrote the words, die Jewel. Rockoff is recommending ordinances to protect shop owners and citizens by requiring Jewel Restores to document items they purchase.

In the wake of the corruption scandal in Atlantic City, a resolution by the Atlantic County freeholders. It expresses their opposition to any state takeover of any municipality in the county, but the vote was far from unanimous five to three. Atlantic City's mayor and 13 other government and business leaders have been arrested on corruption charges. Kent. Governor for Governor campaign has gotten a boost and taken a lump in the past 24 hours. Last night, a party fundraiser was very successful and brought out a rallying cry from Governor Kane. But today, an environmental group claiming to represent 50,000 people, lambasted quarter, as it endorsed his Democratic opponent, Jim Floreo. Michael Aaron reports. A political campaign is a series of ups and downs, that's what Governor Kane said last night, a night that was clearly an up for Jim Quarter, who raised by his own count more than $1 million at this $1,500 per person dinner. But today was a down when a coalition of environmental activists endorsed quarter's Democratic opponent, Jim Floreo, saying the choice has never been clear because Floreo has the best

environmental record of any New Jersey congressman. James Quarter, on the other hand, has the worst voting record on the environment and the New Jersey delegation. The environment is a major concern of New Jersey voters and the environmental federation, a collection of 45 smaller groups, spared few words in its description of quarter. Quite simply, this record is garbage when it comes to the environment. A quarter spokesman said today this is the same group that was criticized for sensationalism and half-truths by Phyllis Elston, the head of the New Jersey environmental lobby. Their endorsement is no surprise, they're a Democratic front group, a point group leaders refuted today saying they've endorsed Republicans in the past. Some say the quarter campaign has no place to go but up, and last night it seemed to be on the rise as Governor Kane came out to make his first browsing speech for quarter. Many top Republicans turned out, such as Lawrence Bathgate and Chuck Hargwick, Carrie Edwards joined them at the head table, and Pete Dawkins led the Pledge of Allegiance. Kane gave a highly partisan speech, calling this an election between the future and the

past. People of New Jersey don't need more than one warning. You don't have to tell them twice that there's danger ahead. They remember what this state was like ten years ago, and I'll tell you, the people of New Jersey are in no hurry to go back. The whole country is watching this election quarter said, and there is much at stake. We know they know the United States knows that there is a gubernatorial race here in this state. And ladies and gentlemen, I am humble and proud to be your nominee and your candidate for Governor of the State of New Jersey. I'm not going to let you down. I am not going to let you down. There's other important reasons. Michael Aaron, New Jersey Network News, East Brunswick. A new sidewalk is being installed in front of Newark City Hall. The project has some people wondering if the developer donating the bricks and labor might be trying to pave his own path to favors from city leaders.

Scott Moniak has the story. Real estate mogul Harry Grant strikes again. The same man who brought gold to the Newark City Hall dome and gilded eagles to the entrance is now financing a brick sidewalk being constructed in front of the government building. Some people, though, have questioned his motives. I am not giving any gift to anybody in the city. I am retiring the CD back. I am doing for the public and for my project. But the city's legal counsel says he doesn't believe it's proper for Newark to accept any gift from a developer who will later be asking for permits and approval from city officials. The question that I am concerned about is the parents of impropriety when Mr. Grant, who was a redeveloper and active redeveloper, is coming back before the counsel asking for redevelopment activities. I think that a city like Newark has to depend to a large extent upon people who feel good about the city and who are wanting to assist the city.

Here's a developer who has come along. He says I recognize the fact that the city has allowed me to develop in the city, that they have given me a Foxlands tax agreement. I would like to make a contribution to the city of Newark for a public purpose. No one seems to be questioning whether or not Harry Grant's gifts have helped to improve Newark's renovation. It's his timing that has some people doubting his intentions. If Mr. Grant had completed all of his redevelopment activities and decided to make these gifts to the city, I would not have any problem with them. Harry says humbuck. Harry does not need anything. Many fact, Harry just investment money in the city to make it the goal to be done. That's my goal to be build the city. Scott Moniac, New Jersey Network News, Newark. And coming up, Jim Van Sickle has a peek inside the Fed's beige book in tonight's business report. No, it's not quite enough. Police have noise meters, and landlords are on notice.

That's my plan. One of the two striking unions meets with negotiators for New Jersey Bell in Washington tomorrow, but no one expects the strike to end anytime soon. In Newark today, about

1,000 strikers held a rally outside NJ Bell headquarters. The idol operators and repairmen tied up traffic for a while. 14,000 members of the CWA and IBEW are upset over the company's plan to make employees pay some of their own health benefits. The company reports 166 incidents of vandalism, 20 of them today. For a time today, NJ Bell says 600 customers were without phone service because of sabotage. Meanwhile, 140 operators and service technicians at United Telephone Company of Northwestern, New Jersey remain off the job. An IBEW union spokesperson says there will be a meeting Friday with a United Representative and a state mediator. The phone company reports only a handful of people in Warren and Sussex counties are still without phone service because of isolated vandalism. United workers have been on strike since last week. Along the Jersey Shore, businesses get upset when the summer is too quiet and year-round residents get upset when it's too noisy. In Avalon, enter the noise police. Here's Deborah

Zara. Avalon boasts of being a quiet family beach resort, but it hasn't been so quiet this year in some areas. 28 homeowners were put on notice from City Hall that they are breaking a local ordinance because their renters are too noisy, many of whom are high school and college students. They continue to violate the existing ordinances. Their rental licenses will be revoked. Means they can't rent the house. We spoke with aid real estate agents, none of whom would speak with us on camera, but most of them did tell me that they disagree with a city ordinance that could revoke a homeowners rental license if the people that they are renting to are habitually loud and disorderly. Some residents say the noise is so unbearable that they cannot sleep. Ray Anderson says he's trying to put his home up for sale. The reason? The neighborhood. In a winter time, it's terrific around here. You can't get a better neighborhood. In a summertime, with the group rentals, they rent to four or five people on a weekend. There's 15, 20 people to stay in one place.

Police patrol the neighborhoods with these noise meters to check sound levels. If the levels reach above 55 decibels, a summons could be issued. Had times when there's been parties, you can see that there's a keg on that porch right there with all three houses. One of these houses, as you can see, as the red sticker, the first floor has been condemned. Many of the renters say the noise they make is sometimes no louder than the traffic that drives by and they call the police unfair. They're by every five minutes. I mean, if they're looking to bust, it's one thing. It should not really throw anything in your mind, your own business, it should be. They shouldn't give you a problem. But the mayor says he will keep up the patrols, in order to keep his town the quiet, relaxing place, it has always been. Deborah Zara, New Jersey Network News, Avalon. Time now for tonight's business report with Jim Van Ciccolon. He tells me he has some shocking news. Shock is the word. All right, Kent. You know, there's plenty of shock in one item today. The study that says this, if you are an executive and if you lose your job and you are a man, it is going to take you longer to get re-employed than if you were a woman. That's what the study

says. Now, what is the body to think? I mean, especially if you're a man. Are we simply less attractive than the other sex or could it be that women having gotten into the act now have become better at being bosses than we are? Are women threatening to take over, and everything? Of course, it's one possibility. Speaking personally, in some cases, it's not a bad idea at all. But the study done by an out placement firm, right, associates, says that one thing women executives have in their favor is, on average, they don't make as much money as male executives do. In fact, only about 73% is much. Women, of course, protest that they are discriminated against at the pay window. But in the words of the old song, it appears that every cloud has its silver lining. Not gold, of course, but silver. Talk about scary stuff. Look at what AT&T has come up with now. They call it SAM. But SAM is a machine which threatens to be able to do everything you and I can do. You can call it up on the phone and ask it to take the coffee pot off the stove and they'll do it.

That doesn't sound hard. But you could say to it, on the right hand side of the counter, are four coffee mugs. Pick up the red one with a square handle and put it in a sink. And it would do that. Of course, AT&T didn't design this for stuff like that. But they say it has a vocabulary of 127 words that it can respond to and talk back to you with and can learn more words as time goes on. Now, trust AT&T, they went to all the trouble to calculate with his starting 127 words. He can craft. Now, get this. 300 quintillion sentences. Scary. With that many sentences, it'll be looking for our jobs, pretty soon. Gosh, it was nervous. Wasn't it for a while there? The Dow hit 2707 and you could just hear some of the bears growling about 1987, but we're spared. Seems the Feds beige book came out today in the chief bankruptcy, a spotty, but still slowly growing economy. Some regions not doing so hot. And of course, we're one of those. But others continuing to show growth,

slow growth, but growth indeed. Of course, the beige book is the overview of the nation's economic health prepared for the meeting. August 22nd of the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee, which just could further cut interest rates if it perceives to little growth. What should we hold for, anyway? Whatever you like, John. Oh, boy. There is a, thank you, James. There's a higher percentage of Caesarian birth, Caesarian section births, I should say, in New Jersey than in any other state in the nation. And a group of concerned physicians wants to know why. A task force of obstetricians and Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey now is studying why C-sections are on the increase in our state and nationwide and redeploy our reports. Despite all the preparation the expect in parents go through, if there's trouble during labor, the ultimate decision of how a baby will come into the world rests with the delivering doctor. The natural vaginal delivery being the most preferred, but the Caesarian section, the surgical delivery, is often

a necessary alternative. For instance, we have a distress which means that a baby's in trouble in the uterus needs to come out earlier than would be allowed if the baby were to deliver eventually the mother were here to continue to labor. But new statistics indicate that the C-section may be overused nationally and especially in New Jersey. State Health Department figures suggest the performance of Caesarian deliveries in New Jersey has increased dramatically over the last 20 years. According to their statistics, one out of every 20 pregnant women in New Jersey was likely to undergo a Caesarian two decades ago. Now one out of every three New Jersey pregnancies is likely to end with a surgical delivery. A separate study by New Jersey Blue Cross and Blue Shield found that 24% of all babies born in the U.S. last year were delivered by C-section compared to 28% in New Jersey. And while these statistics don't show New Jersey exceeding the national rate by very much, it is the overall trend of more C-sections that has this group of physicians concerned.

All of us are concerned about the rate of the continuing rise over the past 10 years of about 1% a year, which we don't see an end to when we want to understand why. The Caesarian birth task force, a group of doctors studying the C-section rate, speculates the increase may be due to a number of factors, one being the fear of litigation and unwillingness to look for an alternative to surgery when signs of fetal trauma come during the height of labor. The concern is that the Caesarian section is major surgery. We're talking about anesthesia, we're talking about blood loss, we're talking about an abdominal scar and wound, we're talking about long-term disability. Depending on the hospital, surgical deliveries are often more lucrative than natural deliveries, and they are almost always quicker, more convenient and easily scheduled. I think the integrity of a physician is always an issue. The task force is now surveying obstetricians around the state to find out why there are so many C-sections. Marie DeNoia, New Jersey Network News, Newark.

And coming up and end, unfortunately, to our crystal clear weather, we'll have the forecast in a moment. And in sports, four world record holders instruct kids about life on the fast track. Pat shows us next. Ready, go. That's the decision, listen to it today, keep the knees up high, all the way down. Yup, dé-co-swalker call, send for me now. Thank you so much. Not just another pretty face. Not anymore. Officials of the Miss America pageant in Atlantic

City say they're changing. They're 69-year-old rules, so contestants can not only show off their smiles, but speak their minds, too. It's a radical change that lets would-be Miss America's choose a platform they'd promote through their reign, even if it's controversial. And that freedom of speech carries no limits because judges are not supposed to score based on how they like or dislike a contestant's ideas. Director Leonard Van Horan says in Miss America, who's also outspoken, might bring the pageant more respect. It was another glorious day of comfortable temperatures and low humidity, a great day to find some time to spend outdoors. At Markland Park in Princeton, there were plenty of youngsters and their moms enjoying the sunshine and the big sandbox. This little fellow is well trained as soon as he's finished with the soft drink, mom gets the can to dispose of. Here's a look at current conditions, clear in Newark, where it's a pleasant 75 at this hour, some clouds in Trenton and Atlantic City, where it's also in the mid-70s. Clear and cool tonight, September

like temperatures, and you'll need a jacket or a sweater this evening, overnight lows between 50 and 65 degrees. It's all downhill after tomorrow morning that a starts out fine will have sunshine and then the clouds roll in. Possibility of some rain tomorrow night, daytime highs, 73 to 80 degrees. On Friday, cloudy and cool with periods of rain, the warm weather won't be back until Saturday, Friday's highs, 66 to 77 degrees. In sports night of business, person special in Philadelphia, here's Pat Scanlon. That's right now, Pat. Sickle looked up on that note, but the Mets made it back-to-back shutouts in the Phillies with Bob O'Heeda, blanking the Phills 6-0 today. The Mets are now five games behind the camps who beat the expose this afternoon. They knew it was going to be a band-aid for the Phills when the Mets mugged the fanatic before the game. The fanatic wasn't sure if he was coming or going. Next Philly Wandsam, well got the Mets going in the first with his 11th home run of the year. Third with New York. Yes, Sammy did remember to return to the visitors dugout at the vet.

And Daryl Stronberry crunched his 25th home run off Dennis Cooks to run upper deck blast off the foul pole. The Mets win it, six to nothing. And the Yankees wrap up a series with Cleveland amidst growing speculation that George Steinbrenner will do the inevitable and fire manager Dallas Green. I think Green's done a good job with a bad team, but he certainly won't take any credit for Ken Phelps sliding abilities. Here's Phelps attempting to slide in the eighth, looking like the wounded duck he got back up, touched the plate and scored, but the Yankees lost three to one. While summertime means summer camps and there's even one that teaches speed. It's the mighty burners speed camp at Stockton State College in Pomona. The members of the record setting 1968 U.S. relay team are giving a little back to the sport of track and field. We tell them what they learn here with regard to drills technique and developing a positive momentum outage to help take seconds, tens of seconds and hundreds of seconds off their time.

James, Ron Freeman, Lee Evans, and Vince Matthews. They said a world record in the four by four hundred relay in the 68 Olympics. A mark just tied last year in Seoul. Now they like to lend their expertise to up and coming athletes. The understanding of what they're doing and why they're doing it is not being given to the youngsters in many youngsters in the United States today. There are only two track Olympic world records that we hold. And so the four gold medalists are working on the kids' mental and physical preparation. They try to teach us to believe in ourselves and have a plan. They made us write out everything they wanted us to do for the future goals. It's an individual sport, but when it comes to a relay, that's when we band together as a team. And this is, this unifies us. And the campers are paying close attention to the insights of four Olympic gold medalists. They showed us the tape of them running, you know, to pick out the mechanics and everything

that they've been teaching us. Like we had to pick out their forms of running and everything. And it like gave you goosebumps. 30 now to boxing. Rossi, Alusia, Bramble is a champion once again after winning last night in Atlantic City. Bramble, the former lightweight champion from Sussex County, used a combination of powerful rights to send North American super lightweight champion Harold Brasier to the canvas in the second round. Brasier got up, but not for long. Bramble chaos the champ, winning the title and his 29th fight. And a basketball note, the big east conference says they'll go to six files next year instead of five, six personals used by the NBA all along. Can't fill a lot to be said for consistency. Thank you, Pat. That's all for tonight. I'm Phil Brennan. I can't man a hand from all of us here. Thanks for being with us. See you tomorrow. Good night. This has been a presentation of New Jersey Network.